Fire-escape



(NoModeL) A. J. HARRISON, A. H. BIRKMIRE 8L F. LOWE. Fire Escape.

No. 243,252. PatentedJun e 21, 1881.

WITNESSES: NTmu a. 524W W ,BY u A ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. HARRISON, ALEXANDER H. BIRKMIRE, AND FREDERICK-LOWE, OF PARKVILLE, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND LOUIS BARKER, OF

NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,252, dated June 21, 1881.

Application filed November 17, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED J. HARRISON, ALEXANDER H. BIRKMIRE, and FREDERIoK LOWE, of Parkville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices that are designed to be operated from the street for affording means of escape to inmates of burning houses.

The invention consists of the combination, with screw-actuated lazy-tongs, of hinged sliding supporting-blocks, whereby the tongs may be inclined toward a building, and of devices for holding them in that position; and it consists, further, in combination with the adjustable tongs and supporting-blocks, of a rope ladder and a flexible tubular conductor for af- 2o fordin g direct means of ascent and descent, all

of which will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional side elevation on line a a, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the base of the fire-escape, upon each end of which is secured a vertical standard, A, that serve as 0 bearin gs for the horizontal right-and-left screw B, which is provided with a hand-wheel, B, on one end, and is held in place by collars ac.

Resting on the upper face of the base A, between the standards A A, are the vertical 3 5 sliding blocks 0 0, through the screw-threaded central holes in which the screw B passes, so that on turning said screw B the blocks C C are approached to or withdrawn from each other, as the case may be.

On the top of each sliding block C acap, D, is hinged, as shown at b, and is held fast down on said block C by hinged clamp, staple, and pin 0 c c, or other suitable device, so that when the pin 0 is withdrawn the clamp 0 may 4 5 be disengaged from the staples c and the caps D D be turned upward and rearward on their hinges b.

A plate, E, provided with a down ward-projecting curved finger, E, is screwed or otherwise secured on the inner face of each cap D in such a manner that the fingers E extend downward in contact with the inner faces of the sliding blocks 0, and thereby serve to give lateral support or steadiness to the fireescape when the lazy-tongs F are extended. 5 5

F represents the lazy-tongs, whose lower ends are pivoted in clamps or braces G, that are secured upon the caps D. In the upper ends of the lazy-ton gs Fare staples d d, through which is passed a horizontalrod, H, from which depends, by means of rings f f, a flexible tubu lar conductor,.1, of canvas, asbestus, or other suitable uninflammable material, that is designed to reach to the ground, or to be long enough to be drawn down to the ground at any convenient angle, for the easy and safe descent through it of persons escaping from a building. The mouth of said conductor I is distended by a hook, g, and is provided with a hook, it, whereby it may be secured to a window-sill or other convenient object.

A rope-ladder, K, is suspended from the rings ff or the rod H for ascent and descent.

On turning the hand-wheel B in the one direction the sliding blocks C C are separated 7 the full length of the screw B between the standards A A, and the lazy-tongs F thereby closed, and on turning the wheel B in the opposite direction said lazy-tongs F are elevated, as shown in the drawings.

It is an important feature in this device that it can be placed at a distance from a burning building, where it can be operated without danger from the fire, while at the same time the lazy-tongs can be elevated at an inclination, so as to have their tops rest against the building, or can be so inclined after being elevated. This is accomplished by means of the caps D D. On drawing the pins 0 the clamps 0 may be disengaged from the staples c, and the caps D D, with their attached lazy-tongs F, thrown back, inclining the latter, as shown in dotted lines L, Fig. 2.

Chains M, attached to the fronts of the caps D D and made fast to any convenient pointof 5 the base A, or elsewhere, are designed to limit the degree of inclination of the lazy-tongs I, and to hold them in the inclined position.

Guide-ropes N N, attached to the rod H and extending downward, serve for steadying the lazy-tongs F as they are elevated or inclined. Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent- 1. Afire-escape constructed, substantially as herein shown and described, with right-andleft screw B, sliding blocks 0 O,and hinged caps D D, supporting lazy-tongs F, arranged and operated as set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the sliding blocks 0 G and lazy-tongs F, of the hinged caps D, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the lazy ton gs may be inclined, as set forth.

ALFRED JOHN HARRISON. ALEXANDER HECTOR BIRKMIRE. FREDERICK LOWE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. EGGLESTON, JOHN G. Lnwrs. 

